What to Do Ottawa

In the hot and cold baths at Nordik Spa-Nature, you’ll float away into a world of relaxation.

Even on vacation, it can be hard to shake the busy urban lifestyle. So many things to see, to do, to try, to eat, to buy. We forget the need to unwind, to enjoy a quiet afternoon, to pamper ourselves. Luckily, many establishments in Ottawa offer an opportunity to do exactly that. Whether you want to glam up for a night out or enjoy a relaxing massage — be it alone, with friends, or your loved one — don’t forget to make time for the most important part of your stay: you.

Beautiful photographs of beetles are on display at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Beetles: they’re tiny, diverse, and stunningly beautiful. Their patterns and colours change from one carapace to the next, and Beetles Close-Up gives visitors a detailed look at this phenomenon through 18 large-scale photographs of specimens from the Canadian Museum of Nature’s collection. Created by a museum entomologist, the photographs are so intricate it’s possible to see individual hairs on each beetle’s leg — hairs that help scientists determine which species a beetle belongs to. On display at the Canadian Museum of Nature until September 2016. —Amy Allen •Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St., 613-566-4700. nature.ca •Map and reviews

World War Women examines the contributions that women made to the war effort during both World Wars. (Photo: Library and Archives Canada, PA-108043)

Historically, men have been the ones fighting on the front lines, but that doesn’t mean women didn’t also play a role in global conflicts. In the First and Second World Wars, they sold stamps to raise money for the war effort, served as nurses in Europe, and worked in munitions and supply factories. The wars allowed them to prove their capabilities to themselves and to a society that tended to underestimate them. World War Women looks at some personal stories, including that of Molly Lamb Bobak, who served as a war artist during World War II, and Dorothy Linham, who won the coveted title of Miss War Worker in 1942. On at the Canadian War Museum until April 3. —Amy Allen •Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place, 1-800-555-5621. warmuseum.ca •Map and reviews

Iconic Canadian band Blue Rodeo rolls into town on February 14. (Photo: Heather Pollock)

FEB. 14 With a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, 12 Juno Awards to their name, and more than three million records sold worldwide, Blue Rodeo is without a doubt one of Canada’s most enduring bands. Their alt-country rock songs are unmistakable — songs like the melancholy “Try” and the foot-tapping “Till I Am Myself Again”, which propelled them to the top of the charts in the ‘80s and ‘90s. They stop in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre as part of their cross-Canada tour.—Amy Allen •Canadian Tire Centre, 1000 Palladium Dr., 613-599-0100. canadiantirecentre.com

More commonly known as 2Cellos, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser put unique twists on classical and contemporary music.

FEB. 14 Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, the duo more commonly known as 2Cellos, met in their teens when they studied music in Croatia. At the time, they often competed against each other in music contests, and many saw them as rivals. But in 2011, when their paths crossed again after years of working in different cities, they decided to team up. Their cello version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” went viral when they uploaded it to YouTube, and they’ve been selling out stadiums with their unique take on pop songs and classical music ever since. —Amy Allen •National Arts Centre, Southam Hall, 53 Elgin St., 866-850-2787. nac-cna.ca •Map and reviews

The setting is a North Halifax neighbourhood. Leaving his house in the morning, a man discovers that a white couch has been placed anonymously on the curb outside his door, which sets off a series of encounters (some pleasant, other less so) with his neighbours. Mathew Reichertz’s Garbage, a large-scale comic book that blurs the line between narrative and art, explores the unhealthy relationships that sometimes occur within communities, and how simple communication can reveal the goodness in others. On display at the Carleton University Art Gallery until April 3. —Amy Allen •Carleton University Art Gallery, St. Patrick’s Building, 1125 Colonel By Dr., 613-520-2120. cuag.carleton.ca •Map and reviews

FEB. 4 TO 7 Two pianos, two keyboards, and a drum kit — these are the tools Mouse on the Keys use to create their haunting, jazz-influenced, experimental music. Based in Japan, the trio blends aspects of rock and roll with the gentler strains of classical, jazz, and funk. They’re just one of several bands performing at this year’s Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival. Other names, many of them from Ottawa, include John Geggie’s Journey Band, Montréal Guitare Trio, The Chocolate Hot Pockets, and Juno Award-nominated chanteuse Carol Welsman. —Amy Allen •ottawajazzfestival.com

Mirrors with Memory shines a light on early Canadian photography. (Thomas Coffin Doane, The Molson family brewery after the fire, Montreal, Quebec, 1858, daguerreotype, Library and Archives Canada.)

Invented in the early 1800s, the daguerreotype is the prototype for photography as we know it today. Images were captured on a sheet of polished, silver-plated copper, allowing each detail to be preserved with pristine clarity. For the first time in history, humans could create images of themselves — and the world around them — as they really were. In Mirrors with Memory: Daguerreotypes from Library and Archives Canada, a series of landscapes and portraits of regular citizens open a window into Canada’s early days. On display at the National Gallery of Canada until February 28. •National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Dr., 613-990-1985. gallery.ca •Map and reviews

The 38th edition of Winterlude, Ottawa’s celebration of ice and snow, runs from January 29 to February 15. (Photo: Canadian Heritage)

In many cities across North America, winter is a time when people stay indoors, but not so in Ottawa. Winterlude is the city’s annual homage to all things ice and snow. This year, it runs from January 29 to February 15.

A lighthearted musical with dark undertones, Matchstick chronicles the life of a woman who is married to a very notorious man.

JAN. 21 TO 31 A girl from a poor country meets a boy from the land of opportunity. They fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. That’s how the story always goes, right? In the case of Matchstick, not so much. Told through music, the play unravels the true-life tale of a woman who discovers she has married “one of the most hated men in the world.” As for the man’s identity? You’ll just have to see the play to find out. Part romance, part musical, part dark historical drama, Matchstick deftly walks the tightrope between comedy and tragedy. —By Amy Allen •Great Canadian Theatre Company, 1233 Wellington St. W., 613-236-5196. gctc.ca

A truly unique museum, the Diefenbunker is a National Historic Site of Canada. (Photo: Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum)

Buried deep underground in Carp, a community nestled in the west of the National Capital Region, the Diefenbunker (now Canada’s Cold WarMuseum)was built in the midst of the Cold War with the intention of housing the prime minister (at the time, John Diefenbaker, for whom the facility is fondly named) and other important government officials in the event of a nuclear attack. The bunker was decommissioned in 1994, but it’s since been given a second life as a museum. The interior has been faithfully preserved, giving visitors a sense of what it must have looked like in the 1960s. Special events and tours take place here regularly; see the museum’s website for more information. —Amy Allen •Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, 3929 Carp Rd., Carp, 613-839-0007. diefenbunker.ca •Map and reviews

The Canadian Museum of History’s new exhibition, Vikings, tells the complex story of one of history’s most misunderstood eras. (Photo: Swedish History Museum)

Popular depictions of the Vikings tend to portray them as bloodthirsty barbarians, pillaging their way up and down the countryside with axes in hand and wearing horned helmets. And while some of this may be true (the pillaging part, anyway — there is no evidence that they ever wore horned helmets into battle), history tells a very different story. Thanks to recent archaeological discoveries, we now have a better understanding of who they were and how they lived. As the exhibit Vikings illustrates, they weren’t mere raiders — they were also explorers, traders, settlers, mercenaries, and skilled seafarers. Their history and identity is explored through almost 500 artifacts — including jewellery, weapons, and religious artifacts — that have rarely been displayed outside of Sweden. On display at the Canadian Museum of History from December 3 until April 17, 2016. —Amy Allen •Canadian Museum of History, 100, rue Laurier, Gatineau, 800-555-5621. historymuseum.ca •Map and reviews